Tainted Rose
by WinryRockbell6390
Summary: *Title may change* AU/ Yuffie is sold to be the maid of man in Nibelheim. Little does she know the dark secrets of the owner of the manor... Yuffentine. Read & Review!
1. Prologue

Prologue

A cry of agony echoed throughout the town, matching the weather encasing the area. Rain poured down, drowning out anything from view within a five-foot radius.

A woman, brown locks cascading down her back in a long and high ponytail, stared down at her victim with malice. Kicking the man at her feet in the ribs, she bellowed her distaste towards him once again. Wincing internally, she heard snaps as his bones shifted and changed shape, no longer fighting back tears as she kicked him once more.

Letting out another anguished cry, the man glared up at her. His vivid blue eyes riming with crimson, he snarled as fangs formed from his canines. "Damn you…"

"I should be saying that to you," the woman screeched, "you bastard…you'll learn your lesson. You'll become the 'monster' you so claim you are!"

"Bitch," he growled out at her when she kicked him again. He let out another gruff howl as his ribs caved in on themselves, reshaping.

"Call me what you will," the woman's glare intensified, "but you'll never be able to rid yourself of what I'd wrought upon you now! Neither of us will!" A snarl was her answer; she laughed. "You…a monster…will love. But she will never love you…I swear my life on it. You shall suffer from unrequited love so strong, it'll drive you to the measures I took!"

"I'll never be as…" a low growl. "…desperate as you…you insane…" His vocal chords reshaped, cutting off all communications and reducing him to feral growls.

The woman smirked at her handiwork taking a couple steps back, "…I hope you live a long life, Vincent…that way you'll crave death all the more…"

As she fell from exhaustion, her body spent and life drained, the beast –her former victim—pounced, tearing at her body leaving nothing for the scavengers.

--

--

A/N: I know it's short...but I would like to know what you guys think. Should I continue? Constructive critizism? Anything is welcome! Just...please review! :)


	2. Sold

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, it's characters, or anything in relation to it. That right goes to Square Enix...the gaming company god. I'm just a broke college student who has nothing better to do with her free time.**

Chapter 1

"WHAT!?" The shrill voice of the youngest Kisaragi rang throughout the household.

The elderly figure in the room didn't seem fazed by the younger's antics, "Don't yell, Yuffie. It's unbecoming."

The girl scoffed, "the hell, old man! I'll yell if I want! How…how _dare_ you!"

"Yuffie, please," the man sighed, "calm down. It's not as bad as—" His sentence cut short by an oversized shuriken held at his throat.

"If you say 'not as bad as it seems,' I swear, I'll gut you right now, old man," Yuffie seethed. The man seemed completely unfazed by the girl's antics. Lowering her shuriken she placed her free hand on her hip and adjusted her weight to rest on the opposite hip, "when's the bitch getting here?"

"Watch your language, young lady," the man hissed. "Lady Cissnei will be here momentarily. _Please_ try to act hospitable, Yuffie."

Silver-maroon eyes narrowed, "you want me to be _hospitable_ to the bitch you _sold_ me to!?"

"I want you to be _hospitable_ to the woman who will act as your _escort_ and _confidant_!" the man's voice began to rise, "if you disgrace this family, Yuffie Kisaragi, --Leviathan so help me-- I will _swim_ to the mainland, drag you back here, and offer you up to Da Cho on a blood moon! Every living myth and ritual you know will become your worst nightmare!"

Yuffie scoffed, "chill, Godo, geez. And I thought _I_ was cruel…"

"Lord Godo, Lady Yuffie…?" The two persons were silenced by the announcement of their expected visitor by a servant. A woman walked into the room, her light brown hair swaying after her, a pleasant smile on her face.

Bowing deeply her voice filled the chilled silence of the room. "Lord and Lady Kisaragi, it's a pleasure."

Yuffie snorted, earning a jab in the ribs from the older man. Inwardly sighing Yuffie bowed in kind to the new arrival, "the pleasure is ours, Lady Cissnei."

Both rising from their bow, Cissnei straightened the jacket of her blue blazer while Yuffie rested her hands on her hips. "I believe Lord Godo has told you the purpose of my trip, Lady Yuffie?"

"Of course," Godo spoke up before Yuffie could, "as was our agreement. In exchange for 50 million gil, Yuffie would serve under your brother's care for two years."

"I believe 50 million would cover the costs of debt?" Cissnei said casually, "it would be a shame to see the great name of Kisaragi soiled because of failure in tourist sales."

Godo just nodded in reply, Yuffie snorting rather unladylike. Sending a quick glare at his daughter, Godo stood up, "well, I'll leave you to be, then, Lady Cissnei." Turning to Yuffie his eyes softened, a sorrow filling them, "and Yuffie…be well. I know you hate me now—"

"Two years will pass in the blink of an eye, old man," Yuffie cut him off, offering a reassuring smile, "Just…don't die on me while I'm gone." Godo laughed giving his daughter a long hug before reluctantly to let her go.

Yuffie bit her bottom lip, fighting tears as she watched her father leave the room. Cissnei walked up to the younger girl and placed her hand on her shoulder, "would you like some time to yourself before we depart?"

Taking an encouraging breath, Yuffie shook her head, "no…let's go. The sooner we leave…the sooner I can return." Cissnei just nodded, knowing no words to help ease the loss the girl felt.

"Your things are on the airship already. Let's go," with that, the two ladies walked out of the Pagoda.

Looking up at the massive ship on the outskirts of her hometown, Yuffie's fire seemed to die a bit inside. She really was leaving…

She turned back to glance at the Pagoda once more, her silver-maroon eyes shining with unshed tears, "…sayonara…otou-san…"

--

The cold wind felt good to Yuffie as she leaned over the railing of the airship. Cissnei rubbed her back and handed her a wet cloth.

"I apologize, Lady Yuffie," Cissnei said, "If I had known you were prone to airsickness, we would've taken a boat."

Yuffie shook her head as she held the cloth to her forehead, "I get seasick, too. It would've been a lost cause either way."

Cissnei fought back a smile, "seems you have troubles travelling, then?"

"Just in air and on sea," Yuffie sighed as the wind picked up a bit more, cooling her heated skin, "I'm perfectly capable of travelling on land. Father always said I was a rooted plant. Never to set foot in water or fly."

"Just as expected from the White Rose of Wutai," Cissnei chuckled, "a beautiful plant not meant to be anything more than it is."

Yuffie glanced up at Cissnei, a brow raised, "…my mom said the same thing once…"

"Oh?" Cissnei knelt down next to Yuffie, who had sat down. "I bet she's a wonderful woman. Was she away from the estate during my visit?"

Yuffie's lip twitched in a small smile and she turned to look out at the passing clouds, "…yeah. Sorry you couldn't meet her. You would've liked her. Everyone she meets takes a liking to her."

"A trait I'm sure has rubbed off on you," Cissnei smiled. Her smile faltered, though, when she saw Yuffie sigh. Deciding to change the topic, Cissnei glanced out at the sky, "so…are you looking forward to seeing Nibelheim?"

Yuffie snorted, "As if. I don't know why Godo sold me off to work for some old fart."

Cissnei's smile vanished entirely at her remark, "Vincent is not 'some old fart.' He's been my friend for years. My brother, if we were related."

"Brother? But you're not much older than me!" Yuffie looked at her.

"Twenty-three to the day," Cissnei smiled once again, "Vincent's been my rock for as long as I can remember."

Yuffie let out a small sound of recognition and turned back to the scenery. The two stayed like that, in companionable silence, until their pilot's voice was heard over the intercom stating their arrival.

Cissnei stood up, brushed off her clothing and straightened her hair, and sighed as she glanced at the sun's position in the sky. It was almost dark…

"Let's go," she spoke up, "It's about time you met your new patron."

-

-

A/N: Wow! I didn't expect to get so many reviews in one night! Usually my stories go unnoticed. Anyway, Here's the first chapter! ^_^ I'm proud with how it turned out. Let me know what you think!


	3. The Patron

Old buildings and lots of greenery, Yuffie looked on in awe as she wondered if she stepped into another world. The buildings were quaint, reminding any bystander of olden English houses of the 1700's, with green ivy growing along the buildings, gates, and fences.

To Yuffie, it had its own beautiful history that kept its inhabitants breathless, but it dulled in comparison to the beauty of her Wutai.

Cissnei directed the air sailors who carried their luggage to the manor in which she and Yuffie would be residing. Not paying attention to their destination, Yuffie was taken aback by the sight of the building. Like the rest of the town, it was old. Unlike the rest of the town, and anything Yuffie had seen, the building was dark, unkept, and had an aura about it that would send the bravest of warriors running.

Cissnei smiled as the last of the sailors left from the building, dropping off their luggage. "Well, it's late and I'm sure you're hungry!" she said cheerfully, completely oblivious to the anxious looks of the sailors as they sped away from the premises.

Forcing down her growing dread, Yuffie nodded and followed the older woman into the building.

Closing the door behind Yuffie, Cissnei took in the appearance of her brother's abode, "geez, I leave for a week and the place falls apart. I shouldn't expect more from Vincent, though…"

Yuffie looked at her like she had grown another head. She couldn't be serious! If what she said was true, then the place became like it had in a week's time.

The walls seemed to chip from their paint, cobwebs were in shadowed places, and the drapery looked like it hadn't been swept in years! Surely, Cissnei was joking.

"Vincent?" The older woman called into the hall, motioning Yuffie to follow. The two traversed through the building until they found the living and dining quarters. "Vincent, are you home yet?"

"Must you be so loud?"

Yuffie and Cissnei turned to the source of the voice at the dining room entrance on the other side of the room. A man had stepped into the room buttoning up his blood red polo shirt, his shoulder-length jet black hair clinging to his face and neck revealing the aftermath of a shower.

Cissnei's smile only widened, "well, aren't you just chipper today, Mister Valentine?" She turned to Yuffie, only to giggle inwardly at the girl's shocked face. "Yuffie, this is the Shinra manor owner, Vincent Valentine."

Yuffie swallowed hard, trying to find her voice. When her father had told her of her being sold, she imagined her patron to be an old stuffy man. Vincent Valentine was anything but old and stuffy from what she could tell.

Cissnei's light-hearted chuckle brought Yuffie back to reality. "I'll go place your luggage in the room you'll be staying in. I'll leave you two get better acquainted."

Yuffie gaped after Cissnei as the older woman made her escape. Biting her bottom lip in nervousness, Yuffie pulled at the hem of her tan short-shorts. Daring herself, she looked at Vincent. Silver-maroon eyes widened slightly when she saw his eyes staring at her intensely. She was frozen in place when she noticed their color.

Red eyes…

Not the one willing to break the awkward silence between them, Vincent walked past her and into the kitchen.

Walking after him, she decided to break the overwhelming silence, "so, um…what am I to do?"

Red eyes locked on her once more as he looked up from the cup of hot liquid he had poured for himself. Taking a moment to register her question, he said, "Cissnei will provide all information on what your tasks are. My only advice to you is to stay out of the basement."

"What's in the basement?" Yuffie asked out of curiosity.

His red eyes intensified, trapping her under his gaze, "nothing that you need to know."

Crossing her arms over her chest and shifting her weight to one foot, she scowled, "that doesn't tell me what's down there. What if my tasks involve what's down there? What then?"

"…"

Yuffie sighed at the silence he responded with. Great, her father had sold her off to a devilishly hot, obviously rich, silent, and stuck up bastard. Just her luck.

"Okay, Yuffie, you're all set," Cissnei said as she walked into the kitchen, "why don't you go unpack? I'll be there in a minute to give you the grand tour."

Vincent watched her as Yuffie slipped past Cissnei and headed towards her new room. Once the girl was out of sight, he turned his gaze on Cissnei. The woman rolled her eyes as a low growl emitted from the man.

"Don't give me that look," she scoffed, "her family was in debt. I figured it'd be an asset to pay them off for her cleaning services."

"How long?" Was the low-growl reply.

Cissnei shrugged, "the agreement was two years and—" An ear-splitting howl cut her off. The next thing she knew, Cissnei was pinned to the wall by her shoulder at least a foot off the ground.

"You conniving little wretch," Vincent hissed, "You set me up!"

"I only wanted to help, Vince," Cissnei said with an innocent grin. Vincent growled menacingly seeing the pity in his friend's eyes. "I don't want to see you whither way," she placed her hands on the arm pinning her to the wall, "you're my best friend…the last thing I want is to see you dying because of something some woman did to you years ago—"

"You're not helping your case," he growled out, "what if she _is_ the one Lucrecia spoke of? She won't help me, Cissnei! She'll make it worse!"

Realization flashed across the woman's face, her eyes widening, "oh my…Vincent…I didn't mean…"

Placing her on her feet, Vincent released her and leaned against the counter, "we just pray to Leviathan that she isn't the one she spoke of. I'll just have to keep my distance—"

"Excuse me?"

The two friends turned to the kitchen door to see Yuffie standing there, her eyes downcast in her awkwardness. Cissnei smiled at the younger female, "forgive us, Yuffie. What is it?"

Yuffie looked up at the two, more so Cissnei than Vincent, which did not go unnoticed by the two older persons in the room. "Can you show me where the bathroom is? I can't handle how gross I feel from that airship ride!"

Cissnei chuckled, "Of course." Patting Vincent on the shoulder, she smiled once more at her friend. "Have a good night, Vincent. I'll see you tomorrow." Earning a nod in reply, Cissnei escorted Yuffie out of the room.

Once both girls left, Vincent sighed. Oh, did Leviathan have a sadistic sense of humor!

"I swear," Vincent grabbed his long abandoned cup and placed it in the sink, "Cissnei loves to torment me…despite what she claims."

-

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A/N: And the introduction of Vincent! :D Well, I'm pretty sure I got all of the errors out of this chapter. I'd like to thank **always-kh **for catching my errors from the past few chapters. You're amazing! :)

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, it's characters, or anything in relation to it. That right goes to Square Enix...the gaming company god. I'm just a broke college student who has nothing better to do with her free time. **

Chapter 2


	4. Market and Dinner

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, it's characters, or anything in relation to it. That right goes to Square Enix...the gaming company god. I'm just a broke college student who has nothing better to do with her free time. **

Chapter 3

"Don't you think you have enough of those?" Cissnei raised an eyebrow at the girl in question.

Yuffie placed _another_ batch of apples into her basket. "One can never have too many fruits, Cissnei!" Yuffie chirped, "remember: an apple a day keeps the doctor away!"

Cissnei chuckled at the younger female's antics, "and you are what you eat, Yuffie. Enough of those apples and your head will swell and turn red!"

Yuffie's response was a raspberry at the older girl, earning a full-hearty laugh. "Why not go pick out something you'd like for me to cook?" Yuffie suggested, "I'll cook us a nice dinner before I get to work cleaning that awful place you call a home!"

Cissnei laughed once more before taking off through the market, looking for delectable foods, "As you wish, lady."

Yuffie smiled at the nickname. She had only been living in the Shinra manor for a day, but Cissnei and she had truly bonded. The night before, the two had had a 'girl's night in' and spent the whole night talking.

-

"_**So, what do you think of the manor?" Cissnei had asked as soon as the two were settled within Yuffie's new room.**_

_**Flopping down onto her bed, Yuffie looked at the ceiling in awe, albeit to nothing in particular, "it's beautiful. But…it could use a **_**real**_** cleaning."**_

"_**Which is where you come in," Cissnei smirked.**_

_**Yuffie just stuck her tongue out as a retort. "What's up with Mister Valentine? He's kinda…uptight."**_

_**Cissnei's smile faltered a bit, "Vincent is…special. He's had a pretty bad experience a while back and—"**_

"_**That's no excuse," Yuffie snorted, "Everyone has turmoil in their lives. We just have to move past it and go on with what's left of our lives."**_

'_**You truly are what we need in this hell,' Cissnei thought as a small smile returned to her face. "Wise words, Miss Kisaragi. Maybe some of your optimism will rub off on us."**_

-

Yuffie was slammed out of her thoughts by a person shoving through the market, causing her to lose her footing. Bracing herself for the incoming landing, Yuffie shut her eyes tight.

"Sorry about that, miss." Yuffie's eyes snapped open at the voice. Realizing the owner of the aforementioned voice was holding her up, she looked at her savior.

'Blue eyes…' Yuffie thought with a blink.

"My companion really wanted some of the fish they were selling a couple shops down," he explained, "I apologize for her rashness."

"I'm not rash," a woman walked up to the two, her hands on her hips. Smiling at Yuffie, the woman's wine colored eyes seemed to shine, "I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockhart."

"Kisaragi Yuffie," the girl responded.

"Cloud Strife," the man said as he released Yuffie, letting her hold herself upright.

Tifa gave the ninja a quick once over, "are you new in town? I don't believe I've seen you around Nibelheim before."

"You could say that," Yuffie said as she counted the items within her basket.

"Yuffie." The younger girl turned to see Cissnei walk up to the trio her hands full of meats, vegetables, and the like. "It's getting late. We better head back if you are to prepare dinner before Vincent returns."

"It was nice meeting you," Cloud said to Yuffie. After exchanging phone numbers, Tifa and Yuffie said their goodbyes and the two parted ways with their respected companions.

Yuffie let Cissnei place her items within her basket, a smile on her face all the while. Maybe—just maybe—living in this town wouldn't be so bad.

-

_**A low growl caused the young brunette to gasp. "…what has happened to you…?"**_

_**Blood dripped from the creature's mouth, its fangs bared for the world to see. Its reply was a guttural one.**_

"…_**her…"**_

Cissnei blinked, her mind returning to the present. "I'm sorry, what did you ask?" She asked turning to face the young Kisaragi who was working diligently in the large kitchen.

"I said, does he always return so late?" Yuffie repeated as she placed another finished dish on the dining table. "It's well past eight!"

"Mister Valentine is a really busy man," Cissnei said flatly.

Yuffie huffed as she poured hot water into a waiting teapot, "a regular workaholic, I see. He's just like my old man."

Cissnei let out a small sound of recognition as she observed the younger girl. For two hours straight Yuffie had been preparing a rather oriental-based supper. It really intrigued the older girl to see Yuffie so intent on her work.

The two women paused as the dining room door opened with a subtle burst of wind. "Evening, ladies," came the rather deep voice of Vincent. Cissnei smiled at bit as she watched her long-time friend sit at the table.

Her smile turned into a smirk at the foreign look on his face at the sight of the food preparations laid out on the table.

"What, may I ask, is for dinner?" His crimson orbs locked on Yuffie, his silent question overruling his verbal one: "what the hell is this?"

Swallowing to relieve herself of the dry lump that had formed in her throat, Yuffie motioned for Cissnei to take a seat at the table next to Vincent—who was at the head of the table—as well. Obeying, Cissnei couldn't wait to see how Yuffie handled this situation.

The Wutaian princess picked up one of the dishes she had prepared and placed an item on each of their plates. The item earned a questioning glance from the manor owner. Before he could ask, Yuffie spoke up answering the question she knew was rising in his mind, "Sakizuke."

Vincent looked at her, his eyes showing the shock he felt. Brushing it off, he picked up his chopsticks and placed the item into his mouth. "…Oishii."

Cissnei took that as her cue and took a bite of the Sakizuke. "Oishii, Yuffie-chan! Umai!!"

Yuffie took their praise and placed several other dishes in front of them, putting a helping of each dish on their respective plates. Once finished serving, she took a seat across from Cissnei on the other side of Vincent. Picking up her chopsticks, she bowed her head, "itadakimasu!"

Vincent and Cissnei silently repeated her declaration before eating.

The meal was rather quiet, much to Yuffie's disapproval. Every time Yuffie would try to strike up a conversation, Cissnei or Vincent would respond with one only one-worded answers.

This irked the ninja to no end. It was not because of the short-termed answers she received, but the change in tension that enveloped the room once Vincent had entered the manor. It had even changed Cissnei's mood.

After 15 minutes, Yuffie placed her chopsticks down and stood up. "Please excuse me," Yuffie mumbled, "I think I'm going to start on the cleaning."

Cissnei looked at the young girl worriedly and placed down her chopsticks. Glancing at Vincent, he shook his head at her earning a sigh from the older woman. Standing up, Cissnei thanked Yuffie for dinner. "I'm afraid I must retire for the evening. I have much to do tomorrow."

Yuffie watched as she walked out of the room, her lips tight in a line. Sighing, Yuffie began to pick up the dishes she'd set out.

"You're a curious one."

She froze in her spot. Turning to the only man in the room, Yuffie frowned, "I beg your pardon?"

His crimson eyes locked on her small form, his food forgotten as he stared at her. "It's unusual for someone so untrained to know so much in Wutaian tradition. But then again, there are always exceptions…"

Yuffie's frown deepened, "excuse me? What do you mean by 'exceptions?' Are you saying I don't care about the traditions of my people?"

"I never said that," Vincent said flatly, "although, I must admit, you have surprised me with your knowledge on the Wutaian tradition of Kaiseki ryori."

Rolling her eyes, Yuffie walked into the kitchen and prepared to put away the leftover food, "looks like I'm going to keep surprising you, then. There are many things you don't know about me."

Yuffie felt her breath leave her as she was shoved against the fridge. Forced to turn around by a hard grasp on her arm, Yuffie glared up at her captor.

A hand on each side of the fridge to trap her, Vincent glared down at the girl who reached only to his chest. "Such a curious creature you are, Kisaragi Yuffie…why is it that you intrigue me so?"

Yuffie smirked at him, forcing down the rising fear as she stared into his abnormal eyes, "maybe it's my Kisaragi charm?"

She felt a chill of fear race down her spine as he leaned down closer to her. Clenching her eyes shut, she could feel his breath against her neck. "…do I scare you, young Kisaragi?" he breathed against her ear.

Her eyes shot open and she glared up at him, "not on your life, you creep!" Her skin darkened thirty shades of red as she felt his lips graze against her neck as he pulled back.

"Foolish child…" he muttered so low, she had to strain to hear it. Pulling away, he reached behind her and pulled out a bottle of beer before walking out of the kitchen.

Once the door shut, Yuffie felt her knees give way and she slid to the floor. Her breath had finally returned to her only for her to mutter one word. "B-bastard!"

Oh yes, living in Nibelheim was definitely going to be an experience she'd never foreget.

-

-

**A/N:** Okay, for those of you who aren't familiar with Japanese etiquette and cuisine, "itadakimasu" means "I receive" and is usually said before eating a meal. Likewise, when finished with a meal, guests tell the host (or cook) "gochisousama deshita" ("it was a feast") out of respect.

Also, Sakizuke is part of Kaiseki ryori (the traditional multi-course meal). Sakizuke is a Japanese-style of "appetizer" that usually gives a sample of the meal to come. Usually, Sakizuke consists of some kind of meat, vegetable, and maybe rice. Think of it as a bite-sized Sashimi course ('sashimi' is the unprepared meat of sushi. It's served in thin slices with several side dishes with it).

Other terms in here are: Oishii – delicious; Umai – really delicious; -chan – an honorific given to someone female, or younger than one's self.

**A/N2: **Again I apologize for taking forever to update this! Not only am I a failure at passing Spanish, but I'm a failure at updates! D: Anyway, to compensate for such a long wait, I made sure this chapter was longer! :) Again, I'd like to know what you think! If you see any grammatical or spelling errors, please don't hesitate to point them out! I'd appreciate the insight on my writing!


	5. Manor Secrets

**A/N: I'd like to apologize. I know I'm bad at updating, but this is insanity! I shouldn't be leaving you guys to wait for MONTHS on an update. All I can say is I'm sorry and I'll try to make the updates faster. I'm trying to find time to write and it's not going so well. (D:) But I haven't abandoned this story, Forever Yours, or Demons & Angels. And just as a treat, I've given you a longer chapter. ^^ Enjoy!**

****

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, it's characters, or anything in relation to it. That right goes to Square Enix...the gaming company god. I'm just a broke college student who has nothing better to do with her free time.**

Chapter 4

"Ahh-CHOO!"

Cissnei frowned at the young girl's unintended response to her question, "maybe you should take a break?"

Sniffling, Yuffie rubbed her irritated nose with the back of her gloved hand, "no thanks. I want to at least get the first floor done before the week is up." She swatted another cobweb with her broom, fighting off another sneeze. "And to answer your question: no. I don't normally clean at home. But I also hate filth."

"So you have maids?" Cissnei brushed off a piece of silk that fell from the wall Yuffie was sweeping.

Yuffie shook her head, "Just during the springtime, usually around the time of the Sakura Festival. I just know how to keep up with the cleanliness in the pagoda."

"So you make someone else do it?" Cissnei smirked, earning a grin from the younger girl.

"Naturally. I like to trick my cousins into doing it from time to time." Yuffie climbed down from off her ladder and began sweeping the dust that collected on the ground. "Every so often I would have to do it myself because they caught onto my act."

Cissnei snickered, "served you right." Glancing at her watch, the brunette frowned. With a sigh she looked at Yuffie, "I have to go. Vincent needed me to cover him for a couple meetings. I should be back tonight."

Yuffie stopped her sweeping and leaned against the neck of the instrument, "oh really? Is Mister Valentine too lazy to go?"

"If only that were the case," Cissnei chuckled, "he's too preoccupied to handle mediocre business meetings. That's why he put me in charge as his right-hand man." Winking to the Kisaragi girl, Cissnei made her leave.

Yuffie sighed once Cissnei was out of the manor. Looking around, she sniffed and fought a cringe. The large entryway was dusted and swept clean of cobwebs, but the stairwell and windows were still drowning in the evil dust bunnies. This would take forever!

Placing the broom against a wall, she stretched. "Time for a break," She said with a yawn. A small grin spread to her face, "maybe a little exploration is in order." No Cissnei…No Vincent…perfect.

Brushing off her khaki shorts and green tank top, Yuffie ran up the stairs and decided to venture into the East Wing where Vincent and Cissnei's rooms were.

Peeking through the keyholes, Yuffie made sure no unexpected visitors were around before sneaking into each room. The first being a simple library, Yuffie poked her head into a few of the history books.

_The History of Midgar…The Wutai War…The Birth of Shinra Corp…_YAWN! Didn't Valentine have any books worth reading? Placing the book she was skimming back onto the shelf, she moved to the next room.

Cissnei's room. Although Yuffie was rather curious about Cissnei, she kept her snooping to a minimum. Her respect for Cissnei overrode her thieving habits, she just glanced around the room making sure to touch as little as possible.

A piece of paper on the desk caught her eye. Walking up to the dark wood desk, Yuffie looked at the paper.

_Ms. Cissnei,  
Surely you haven't thought I've given up, have you?  
I know what Valentine has done. I'm no fool. It's only a matter of time before I find the proof I need and, rest assured, I will have both you and Valentine as examples for my company. Do not underestimate me.  
--Shinra_

Silver-maroon eyes widened at the paper. Cissnei and Vincent had something against the President of Shinra? Interesting…

Deciding to do a little more snooping, Yuffie left Cissnei's room and searched valiantly for Vincent's room. Picking the lock to the door of her goal, Yuffie looked around the room suspiciously. "Now…if I were incriminating evidence…where would I be…?"

The book shelves, the desk, in the dressers, under the bed, under paintings, under the carpet…nothing!

"Geez, these guys know how to hide stuff really well," Yuffie grumbled as she leaned against the wall adjacent to the book shelves. A low creaking caused her to tense up. _Oh Shi…_ Her thoughts were cut off as she felt the wall behind her give way.

She stumbled backwards, landing mere inches from a stairwell. Rubbing her bruised backside, Yuffie's eyes narrowed. "Well, well. What do we have here?" Standing up and turning around, she took a step down, "interesting…" Keeping her hands on the wall of the cavern, she made her way down the stairs into the dark of the Shinra Manor basement.

A low and deep rumble echoed throughout the basement. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood and her hackles rising, Yuffie continued her descent. Feeling around for the last step, Yuffie let out the breath she'd been holding. Her paranoia didn't die, but increased, as she walked deeper into the cavern.

The rumbling increased as well. Yuffie discerned the sound as growling…very low, menacing growling.

"H-hello?" Yuffie called hesitantly, "anyone here?" Her body went rigid as a shadow swept by in her peripheral. "C-Cissnei? Is that you?" she asked as she forced her body to relax and move farther into the cavern.

As she rounded the corner her muscles froze in shock. Standing in the middle of a large part of the cavern was a large mass of white, red, and black fur. And claws. And fangs.

And terrifying yellow eyes.

The beast's eyes locked on her and Yuffie's breath stopped in her throat. _"…you…"_ Her eyes widened in fear, hearing the guttural sound of its speech. Miraculously, she found strength to use her legs once more and turned and ran. Fast.

"…_Kisa…ragi…"_ Yuffie bit back a scream as she heard the beast call her family name. _It knows who I am…_

Leaping the stairs three at a time, she spared a look back to see only the rock cavern. It didn't follow her.

Stopping at the top, she fell to her hands and knees to catch her breath. "Sweet Leviathan! What…what _was_ that thing?"

"…_Yuffie…Kisaragi…"_ Yuffie felt her blood run cold. She could hear the beast's breathing behind her.

She shuffled into a crab position and fought hyperventilation as she noticed the beast curtaining around her. Its frame, as it stood on its hind legs, took up the entire entryway into the basement and its claws rested on the sides of the threshold. "Please…don't…"

"Yuffie?" The Wutaian princess recognized the voice of Tifa downstairs. "Yuffie? Are you here?"

The beast's yellow eyes diverted from her to the doorway of the bedroom then back. A small breath of relief escaped Yuffie as the beast retreated back to the basement, its claws scraping against the stone threshold of the entrance.

Fighting back the growing panic in her, Yuffie scrambled upright and ran out of the room and to the mansion entry hall. There she saw the brunette who had called her name earlier. "Yuffie! There you are!" Tifa said, her smile faltering at seeing the disheveled princess. "Are you okay? You look pale."

Yuffie took a deep breath to calm her nerves before nodding, "y-yeah. I just saw a couple bugs that spooked me."

Tifa laughed, "I wouldn't peg you for a girl with a fear of bugs, Yuffie."

The ninja forced a smirk, "I'm not. But it doesn't mean they don't sneak up on the Great Ninja that I am."

Tifa just shook her head as she fought a fit of giggles. "Well, Cloud and I are getting together with a couple friends to go dancing tonight. I was wondering if you and Cissnei wanted to go. I figured she would go if you wanted to."

Yuffie blinked. Go dancing? No one had invited her anywhere for years. Smiling she nodded, "sure! Cissnei has to work, but I'm free."

Tifa's face lit up in a smile, "that's great! We're going at six. We want to catch dinner and then head over. I'll call you." Yuffie nodded and waved as Tifa left.

_Dancing, huh?_ Yuffie thought as she brushed off her outfit. Her eyes darkened a bit in fear as her thoughts turned to the beast in the basement. "Clearly, Vincent can't know about that thing…"

-

Yuffie pulled her jeans over her hips and fastened them to her body. The dark jeans hugged her hips snugly, and low enough to show off her white Wutai rose tattoo at the junction of her hip and waist. She smirked knowing her father still wasn't aware of the dare that resulted in her getting her first tattoo at 18. Practically crawling into her khaki top, she adjusted the fabric to sit right on her torso. Midriff baring, it cut off at the shoulders leaving her shoulder-length hair to brush against her collarbone without a care.

Giving an exasperated huff, Yuffie grabbed her small tan clutch bag and swung the long strap over her shoulder. Checking the contents she nodded and ran out of the mansion to meet up with Tifa, Cloud, and their friends.

Tifa, donned in a black mini skirt and form-fitting wine-colored blouse, waved to Yuffie as she approached them outside the manor gates. "Took you long enough, Yuffie." Tifa grinned with a wink, showing off her burgundy eye shadow.

Yuffie laughed, "You called me ten minutes ago! Not even Da Cho can make do with that kind of time!"

Cloud cleared his throat, stopping Tifa's retort. He motioned to three others that stood with them. "Yuffie, this is Zack Fair, Aeris Gainsborough, and her brother Sephiroth."

Yuffie nodded to the three people. Zack, the black-haired male, smiled back with a small wave. Aeris, the brunette, gave an innocent smile, earning a wide grin from Yuffie as she spotted Zack snake his arm around her. Sephiroth, looking nothing like his sister with silver hair down to his hips, gave her a curt nod his smirk never leaving his face.

"Well, dinner's on Cloud and I tonight," Tifa said, "we just had a big shipment come in and we have a little extra moolah to blow!" This earned an appreciative cheer from the little group as they headed to the restaurant.

It was quite obvious, as the night went on, that Tifa acted as mediator for the group. She would spark up conversation between courses and keep everyone involved, trying to make Yuffie feel welcomed. Cloud was rather quiet unless the topic was mechanics. Yuffie couldn't help but laugh as Zack said something about a certain model of bikes, earning a very disapproving scowl and heated argument from Cloud.

Aeris was also reserved but warmed up to Yuffie rather easily. The Wutaian princess whistled in astonishment as Aeris told her about the flower shop her family owned and the different varieties they had. To Yuffie's amazement and glee, they also had Wutaian lilies.

Sephiroth, Aeris's brother, was a lot quieter than the rest of the group. He never spoke unless asked a direct question, and his green eyes never seemed to stray from Yuffie. It had grown unnerving to the girl until Tifa explained that Sephiroth did that to all "outsiders" of the town. That helped settle her nerves…just a little.

"Stupid wench!" The yell of a man from across the room interrupted the friendly conversation of the group. They all turned to see a burly man rough-housing one of the waitresses as she called for the manager.

Yuffie noticed Tifa place her hand on Cloud's shoulder to still him, as did Aeris to Zack and Sephiroth. Sephiroth brushed off his sister's hand and stood from his seat, readying for a confrontation. "Sephiroth, no," Aeris pleaded with her sibling who didn't heed her.

Yuffie stood up and grabbed the taller man's arm. "It's not our business," She said sternly as she watched the waitress being pried from the man's grip by the manager. "Let them handle the situation."

After a moment, Sephiroth jerked his arm from her grasp and turned around. His green eyes bore into her silver-maroon ones. "What would an outsider know?" He seethed. Yuffie glared at him, ready to snap back, when the waitress's scream broke through their silent feud.

They turned back to see the man had hit the manager over the head with one of the plates, the waitress over her boss's unconscious body in distress. The rest of the restaurant went into chaos in order to escape the building.

Yuffie followed after Sephiroth as he approached the scene. The man, with three others, had obviously been drinking as the stench overwhelmed the ninja as they got closer. "I believe you've worn out your welcome, gentlemen," Sephiroth said snidely.

The man who had attacked the manager scowled at Sephiroth, "the bitch wouldn't give us what we ordered. I think we deserve to get what we paid for."

Yuffie stood her ground as Cloud and Zack passed her in order to stand on either side of their friend. "Either way, it's time for you to leave," Cloud said bored.

Aeris pulled Yuffie back by the arm, "let them handle this, Yuffie." Yuffie turned to the flower girl, Tifa behind her.

"There's no reason for you to get hurt," Tifa said as she pulled on a pair of leather gloves, "we'll let the big boys play for a bit." Tifa and Aeris exchanged a silent conversation, ending with a nod, before Aeris pulled Yuffie back farther past Tifa.

That's when all hell broke loose.

One of the men punched Zack in the jaw and another lunged at Cloud. Sephiroth blocked a punch from their "leader" and kicked him in the stomach. Yuffie watched as Tifa ran into the fray, punching one of the offending men right between the eyes.

Aeris lead Yuffie outside of the restaurant, trying to persuade the girl into heading back home. Yuffie shook her head vigorously, wanting to go back and help them. "We'll just get in the way," Aeris said, "They're trained in fighting. They can deal with four regular men."

Yuffie turned to retort only to be stopped cold. Her face paled as she noticed a large shadow loom over Aeris. Grabbing the girl, Yuffie pulled her to herself as she fell to her knees and the shadow flew over them, attacking whatever was behind them.

Hesitantly, Yuffie looked behind her to see the beast from earlier that day pull up from its kill. Her eyes widened as its canine features became more prominent in the sunset. Its yellow eyes locked on Yuffie, her blood running cold.

"…_Yuffie…"_

_-_

_-_

**A/N: *evil grin* Sorry to leave you in suspense. But I couldn't resist a cliffhanger. ^^ Anyway, let me know what you guys think! I love feedback, wether it's good or bad!**


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